Editing Simon Magus (section)

==History==
===Acts of the Apostles===
[[File:Nucci, Avanzino - Petrus' Auseinandersetzung mit Simon Magus - 1620.jpg|thumb|''Peter's conflict with Simon Magus'' by [[Avanzino Nucci]], 1620. Simon is on the right, wearing black.]]

The [[Biblical canon|canonical]] [[Acts of the Apostles]] features a short narrative about Simon Magus; this is his only appearance in the [[New Testament]].

{{blockquote|But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of [[Samaria]], giving out that himself was some great one: to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, "This man is the great power [Gr. ''Dynamis Megale''] of God."<ref>"[[Geburah]], or ''[[wikt:δύναμις|Dynamis]]'', was an appellative or metonym of "The Divine Glory" among the apocalypticists, and with this very meaning entered the Gospels in the famous passage: 'You shall see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Dynamis [Matthew 26:64; Mark 14:62].' Although in rabbinic sources of the first and second centuries the name ''Dynamis'' was widely used as a synonym for God Himself, the esoteric use continued in the circles of the [[Merkabah mysticism|Merkabah mystics]]. ... This term must have had wide usage, since according to the Acts of the Apostles 8:10 even the Samaritan Simon Magus claimed to be the Great Dynamis: ἡ δύναμις τοῦ θεοῦ ἡ καλουμένη μεγάλη." Scholem, p. 67.</ref> And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries. But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of [[Jesus Christ]], they were baptized, both men and women. Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done. Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and [[John the Apostle|John]]: who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: (for as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, saying, "Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost." But Peter said unto him, "Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought [Gr. ''Epinoia'']<ref>"LÜDEMANN (1989: 96-98) has raised the question whether, on the basis of Luke's own knowledge of the tradition, Luke had made some ironic allusion to Helen as Simon's ἐπίνοια in his reference to the state of Simon's heart: ἡ ἐπίνοια τῆς καρδίας (8:22). If so, as LÜDEMANN argued, the two essential elements of Gnostic Simonian religion are already found in Acts: 'the god Simon and his syzygos, ἐπίνοια.'" Haar 2003, p. 82.</ref> of thine heart may be forgiven thee, for I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity." Then answered Simon, and said, "Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me."|Acts 8:9–24<ref>{{Bibleverse||Acts|8:9–24|1000}}</ref>}}

===Josephus===
[[Josephus]] mentions a magician named [[Atomus]] (Simon in [[Latin]] manuscripts)<ref>Josephus, ''[[Antiquities of the Jews]]'', 20:7, §2.</ref> as being involved with the [[Antonius Felix|procurator Felix]], King [[Agrippa II]] and his sister Drusilla, where Felix has Simon convince Drusilla to marry him instead of the man she was engaged to. Some scholars have considered the two to be identical,<ref>Hilgenfeld, ''Ketzergeschichte,'' p. 170; Albert, ''Die Ersten Fünfzehn Jahre der Christlichen Kirche,'' p. 114, Münster, 1900; Waitz, in ''Zeitschrift für Neutestamentliche Wissenschaft,'' v. 128; Price 2012.</ref> although this is not generally accepted, as the Simon of Josephus is a Jew rather than a Samaritan.

===Justin Martyr and Irenaeus===
[[Justin Martyr]] (in his ''Apologies'', and in a lost work against heresies, which Irenaeus used as his main source) and Irenaeus (''[[On the Detection and Overthrow of the So-Called Gnosis|Adversus Haereses]]'') record that after being cast out by the Apostles, Simon Magus came to [[Rome]] where, having joined to himself a [[profligate]] woman of the name of Helen, he gave out that it was he who appeared among the Jews as the Son, in Samaria as the Father and among other nations as the Holy Spirit.  He performed such signs by magic acts during the reign of [[Claudius]] that he was regarded as a god and honored with a statue on the island in the Tiber which the two bridges cross, with the inscription ''Simoni Deo Sancto'',<ref name=EB1911/> "To Simon the Holy God" ([[s:Ante-Nicene Christian Library/The First Apology of Justin Martyr#29|''First Apology'', XXVI]]). However, in the 16th century, a statue was unearthed on the island in question, inscribed to [[Semo Sancus]], a [[Sabine]] deity,<ref>''Semoni Sanco Deo''. [https://books.google.com/books?id=3ohDAAAAcAAJ&q=semoni+sanco+deo+fidio Gruter, vol. 1, p. 95, n. 5.]</ref> leading some scholars to conclude that Justin Martyr confused ''Semoni Sancus'' with Simon.

====Myth of Simon and Helen====
Justin and Irenaeus are the first to recount the myth of Simon and Helen, which became the center of Simonian doctrine.{{Citation needed|date=May 2015}} [[Epiphanius of Salamis]] also makes Simon speak in the first person in several places in his ''[[Panarion]]'', and the implication is that he is quoting from a version of{{clarify|date=December 2022}} it, though perhaps not verbatim.<ref name=EB1911/>

As described by Epiphanius, in the beginning God had his first thought, his ''[[Ennoia]]'', which was female, and that thought was to create the [[angels]]. The First Thought then descended into the lower regions and created the angels. But the angels rebelled against her out of jealousy and created the world as her prison, imprisoning her in a female body. Thereafter, she was reincarnated many times, each time being shamed. Her many reincarnations included [[Helen of Troy]], among others, and she finally was reincarnated as Helen, a slave and prostitute in the [[Phoenicia]]n city of [[Tyre (Lebanon)|Tyre]]. God then descended in the form of Simon Magus, to rescue his ''Ennoia'', and to confer salvation upon men through knowledge of himself.<ref name=EB1911/>

{{blockquote|"And on her account", he says, "did I come down; for this is that which is written in the Gospel 'the [[Parable of the Lost Sheep|lost sheep]]'."|Epiphanius, ''Panarion'', 21.3.5<ref>[http://www.gnosis.org/library/grs-mead/grsm_simon_magus.htm#FNanchor_48 Epiphanius, ''Panarion'', 21.3.5]</ref><ref>Williams, vol. 1, p. 60.</ref>}}

For as the angels were mismanaging the world, owing to their individual lust for rule, he had come to set things straight, and had descended under a changed form, likening himself to the Principalities and Powers through whom he passed, so that among men he appeared as a man, though he was not a man, and was thought to have suffered in Judaea, though he had not suffered.<ref name=EB1911/>

{{blockquote|"But in each heaven I changed my form," says he, "in accordance with the form of those who were in each heaven, that I might escape the notice of my angelic powers and come down to the Thought, who is none other than her who is also called [[Sophia (Gnosticism)#Prunikos|Prunikos]] and Holy Ghost, through whom I created the angels, while the angels created the world and men."|Epiphanius, ''Panarion'', 21.2.4<ref>[http://www.gnosis.org/library/grs-mead/grsm_simon_magus.htm#FNanchor_45 Epiphanius, ''Panarion'', 21.2.4]</ref><ref>Williams, vol. 1, p. 58.</ref>}}

But the prophets had delivered their prophecies under the inspiration of the world-creating angels: wherefore those who had their hope in him and in Helen minded them no more, and, as being free, did what they pleased; for men were saved according to his grace, but not according to just works. For works were not just by nature, but only by convention, in accordance with the enactments of the world-creating angels, who by precepts of this kind sought to bring men into slavery. Wherefore he promised that the world should be dissolved, and that those who were his should be freed from the dominion of the world-creators.<ref name=EB1911/>

In this account of Simon there is a large portion common to almost all forms of [[Gnosticism|Gnostic]] myths, together with something special to this form. They have in common the place in the work of creation assigned to the female principle, the conception of the Deity; the ignorance of the rulers of this lower world with regard to the Supreme Power; the descent of the female ([[Sophia (Gnosticism)|Sophia]]) into the lower regions, and her inability to return. Special to the Simonian tale is the identification of Simon himself with the Supreme, and of his consort Helena with the female principle.<ref name=WaceBio/>

===Hippolytus===
In ''[[Refutation of All Heresies|Philosophumena]]'', [[Hippolytus of Rome|Hippolytus]] retells the narrative on Simon written by Irenaeus (who in his turn based it on the lost ''Syntagma'' of Justin). Upon the story of "the lost sheep", Hippolytus comments as follows:<ref name=EB1911/>

{{blockquote|But the liar was enamoured of this wench, whose name was Helen, and had bought her and had her to wife, and it was out of respect for his disciples that he invented this fairy-tale.<ref>[http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/050106.htm Hippolytus], ''[[Refutation of all Heresies]]'',  6, 19.</ref>}}

Also, Hippolytus demonstrates acquaintance with the folk tradition on Simon which depicts him rather as a magician than Gnostic, and in constant conflict with Peter (also present in the apocrypha and [[Clementine literature|Pseudo-Clementine literature]]). Reduced to despair by the curse laid upon him by Peter in the Acts, Simon soon abjured the faith and embarked on the career of a sorcerer:<ref name=EB1911/>

{{blockquote|Until he came to Rome also and fell foul of the Apostles. Peter withstood him on many occasions. At last he came&nbsp;... and began to teach sitting under a plane tree. When he was on the point of being shown up, he said, in order to gain time, that if he were buried alive he would rise again on the third day. So he bade that a tomb should be dug by his disciples and that he should be buried in it. Now they did what they were ordered, but he remained there until now: for he was not the Christ.<ref>[http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/050106.htm Hippolytus], ''[[Refutation of all Heresies]]'', 6, 15.</ref>}}

====Simonians====
{{Main|Simonians}}
[[Image:Simonian Aeonology.jpg|thumb|right|Illustration of the Simonian philosophy]]

Hippolytus gives a much more doctrinally detailed account of [[Simonianism]], including a system of divine emanations and interpretations of [[Old Testament|the Old Testament]], with extensive quotations from the ''[[Simonianism#The Great Declaration|Apophasis Megale]]''. Some believe that Hippolytus' account is of a later, more developed form of Simonianism, and that the original doctrines of the group were simpler, close to the account given by Justin Martyr and Irenaeus (this account however is also included in Hippolytus' work).{{Citation needed|date=May 2015}}

Hippolytus says the [[free love]] doctrine was held by them in its purest form, and speaks in language similar to that of Irenaeus about the variety of magic arts practiced by the Simonians, and also of their having images of Simon and Helen under the forms of [[Zeus]] and [[Athena]]. But he also adds, "if any one, on seeing the images either of Simon or Helen, shall call them by those names, he is cast out, as showing ignorance of the mysteries."<ref name=EB1911/>

===Epiphanius===
Epiphanius writes that there were some Simonians still in existence in his day (c. AD 367), but he speaks of them as almost extinct. Gitta, he says, had sunk from a town into a village. Epiphanius further charges Simon with having tried to wrest the words of [[Saint Paul|St. Paul]] about the [[armour of God]]<ref>({{Bibleverse|Ephesians|6:14–16}})</ref> into agreement with his own identification of the {{Transliteration|grc|Ennoia}} with Athena. He tells us also that he gave [[barbaric name]]s to the "principalities and powers", and that he was the beginning of the Gnostics. The Law, according to him, was not of God, but of "the sinister power". The same was the case with the prophets, and it was death to believe in the Old Testament.<ref name=EB1911/>

===Cyril of Jerusalem===
[[Image:Death of simon magus.jpg|thumb|right|The death of Simon Magus, from the [[Nuremberg Chronicle]]]]

[[Cyril of Jerusalem]] (346 AD) in the sixth of his Catechetical Lectures prefaces his history of the [[Manichaeans]] by a brief account of earlier heresies: Simon Magus, he says, had given out that he was going to be translated to heaven, and was actually careening through the air in a [[chariot]] drawn by [[demon]]s when Peter and Paul knelt down and prayed, and their prayers brought him to earth a mangled corpse.<ref>[[s:Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers: Series II/Volume VII/S. Cyril/Lecture 6|Cyril of Jerusalem, ''Catechetical Lectures'', vi. 15]].</ref><ref name=EB1911/>